Cup-shaped body and method for the production thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for producing a cup-shaped body ( 1 ), the edge ( 2 ) of which has a flange ( 3 ) and extends in a plane (E) which is inclined to a plane (F) which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension (L) of the cup-shaped body ( 1 ). For a simple, cost-efficient and reliable production, the method comprises the steps: Producing a hollow body ( 5 ) by way of a deep-drawing process, and a circumferential shoulder ( 7 ) is formed in the shell ( 6 ) of the hollow body ( 5 ), which shoulder ( 7 ) extends between two shell sections ( 8, 9 ) and extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane which is perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction (R) of the deep-drawing process, and cutting the hollow body ( 5 ) along the shoulder ( 7 ) in order to obtain the cup-shaped body ( 1 ), with the flange ( 3 ) of the cup-shaped body ( 1 ) being formed by at least one part of the shoulder ( 7 ). 
     The invention also relates to a cup-shaped body which is deep-drawn in one piece, a component having a housing and a deep-drawing device.

The invention relates to a method for producing a cup-shaped body, the edge of which has a flange and extends in a plane that is inclined to a plane which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension of the cup-shaped body. The invention also relates to a cup-shaped component which is deep-drawn in one piece and comprises a housing, and to a deep-drawing device for producing a hollow body.

DE 10 2005 045 727 B4 discloses a deep-drawing method for producing a hollow part. Both of the tool halves of a deep-drawing machine are moved with respect to each other in a non-linear relative movement during the deep-drawing process. One tool half is being displaced by a lift cylinder. A flange is not provided at the sheet metal component being created. Due to the complex relative movement between the tool halves, such a deep-drawing method is very elaborate and requires an exact controlling of the motion sequence and one of the tool halves requires an elaborate suspension in terms of construction.

JP 3 090 234 A discloses a cylindrical housing of metal having a bottom. The housing is cut so that a transversely extending edge is created. Subsequently, the hollow body is brought into a device wherein its wall is provided with an arc-shaped design by means of an arc-shaped forming tool. The hollow body being formed does not have a flange.

In prior art, cup-shaped bodies, having an edge which is formed from a flange, are required. Such bodies are inter alia used for forming parts of a housing. Their flange rests against the flange of an opposite housing part or pipe, so that a (tightly) sealed housing may be formed. An example of application is the production of silencers for vehicles, such as a turbocharger silencer. In this case, two resonator chambers are formed from a housing that seals the silencer to the outside in an airtight manner. In the region of the flanges of two cup-shaped housing parts which flanges rest against each other, a reliable and airtight connection may be established.

Due to the fact that is increasingly required to provide a space-saving design, it is frequently necessary to construct components that are angled or run around corners. In this case, e.g. a change of direction of a flow duct is no longer exclusively achieved by pipes or lines extending between the individual components, but a change of direction is already caused by the component itself. For this purpose, a configuration of the housing parts in such a way that a change of direction is achieved by the particular geometric form of housing parts and their composition has turned out to be advantageous.

Due to these more complex geometric forms the latters are difficult to produce and the production requires a plurality of complex machining steps, or makes it unavoidable to composite such a housing part of several parts, or it is no longer possible to produce such a housing from one part.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a simple method for producing a cup or a cup-shaped body that can in particular be used in the field of automotive engineering and in this case, in particular for silencers. This being the case, the production costs and consequently also the price for a component comprising a cup-shaped body shall be reduced. The method has to be reliable and realizable by way of generally known methods. The method shall allow producing high-quality and exactly dimensioned workpieces without much effort.

By applying a method of the above-mentioned kind, this objective is achieved by the following steps: producing a hollow body by way of a deep-drawing process whereby a circumferential shoulder is formed in the shell, which shoulder extends between two shell sections and extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane which is perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction of the deep-drawing process, and by cutting the hollow body along the shoulder in order to obtain the cup-shaped body, whereby the flange of the cup-shaped body is formed from at least a part of the shoulder.

A major advantage of the invention resides in the fact that a geometrically complex body may be produced in a simple way and particularly in one piece. The challenge (flange is not positioned to be orthogonal with respect to the drawing direction and the height of the cup is normally too high to be produced in one step) was to produce a cup or a cup-shaped body, the edge of which forms a flange and extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension of the cup-shaped body.

According to the invention, this only requires a deep-drawing process and a cutting process. By way of the deep-drawing process, the future flange of the cup-shaped body is formed as an shoulder in the shell of a hollow body (intermediate product). The shoulder, which forms a ledge in the shell of the hollow body and extends transversely, separates a first shell section having a smaller diameter or cross-section from a second shell section having a greater diameter or cross-section. By cutting the hollow body along the shoulder, the shoulder or a part of it becomes a flange which is positioned to be transverse with respect to the axis of the cup-shaped body. That shell section which is adjacent to the bottom of the hollow body, forms the wall of the cup-shaped body once the cutting process has been carried out. During cutting, a shell section is completely separated from the other shell section.

The cutting may be performed by means of a cutting tool, e.g. a mechanical saw, a punching tool or a laser cutting device.

The cutting process may be such that the entire shoulder of the (original) hollow body forms the flange of the cup-shaped body. It is alternatively also conceivable that only a part or a section of the shoulder forms the flange.

The direction of the axial extension corresponds (as seen from place of the cup-shaped body) to the deep-drawing direction. The axial extension corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the cup-shaped body, which axis corresponds to the cylinder axis if there is a cylindrical body, This axis is also referred to as longitudinal axis if the axial extension is lower than the radial dimensions of the cup-shaped body, i.e. if e.g. the height of the cylinder is lower than its diameter. It is also possible for the hollow body or the cup-shaped body to have an oval or elliptical cross-section.

It is preferred that the deep-drawing direction during the deep-drawing process is straight. Thus, only a simple linear relative movement between stamp and die of a deep-drawing device is required. The longitudinal axis of the hollow body and that of the cup-shaped body created therefrom are consequently also straight.

It is preferred that the hollow body is deep-drawn in one single draught. If the deep-drawing tools are correspondingly embodied, the number of processing steps can thereby be kept low.

It is preferred that the hollow body is deep-drawn from a piece of sheet metal, preferably from a flat pre-cut sheet metal. For producing the complex geometric form of the cup-shaped body, only one individual piece of sheet metal is necessary. The cup being produced is drawn from one piece. Bottom, walls and flange are consequently integrally connected.

It is preferred that the plane, wherein the shoulder extends, is inclined by an angle β of at least 10° relative to the plane that is oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction. With a housing component to be produced from two cup-shaped bodies according to the invention, it is thereby possible to carry out a change of direction or a construction “around the corner” of at least 20°. In order to achieve a change of direction of 45°, an angle β of approximately 22.5° is suitable.

It is preferred that the cup-shaped body is cylindrical, with the axial extension corresponding to the cylinder axis. The cross-section which is perpendicular with respect to the axial extension is consequently circular, whereby a particularly advantageous ratio of volume and surface results. Cylindrical hollow bodies are easy to handle and easy to deep-draw, Alternatively, also forms having elliptical or oval cross-sections are conceivable. It would also be possible to use rectangular cross-sections having rounded corners.

It is preferred that the bottom of the cup-shaped body extends in a plane which is inclined to the plane which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension of the cup-shaped body, and it is preferred that the plane where the bottom of the cup-shaped body extends in is essentially parallel to the plane where the flange runs in. This measure allows alternative forms of cup-shaped bodies to be produced, which can be geometrically optimized depending on space requirements. The direction of the axial extension or the longitudinal axis is in this case not orthogonal, neither with respect to the bottom nor to the plane of the flange.

It is preferred if recesses are placed in the bottom and/or in the wall of the cup-shaped body, in particular for supply lines and discharge lines or resonator chamber openings (for silencers). The cup-shaped body is such processed in order to be suitable for specific applications. By removing the bottom, the cup-shaped body can also be transformed to be a section of a pipe.

It is preferred that the hollow body is deep-drawn in at least two draughts, in particular if the height of the hollow body is the same or greater than its diameter. As described above, the method is particularly suitable if the hollow body cannot be produced in one draught, but several draughts are required. This is in particular of advantage if the ratio of height and diameter of the hollow body reaches a value which is critical in terms of the deep-drawing process.

It is preferred that the cutting of the hollow body is effected by way of a punching process along the shoulder. The advantage is that in this case, the cup-shaped body can be cut out of the hollow body by way of a single and simple motion sequence of a punching tool.

It is preferred that the punching process is performed in the same device where also the deep-drawing process is carried out in, and during the punching process, the punching tool is moved in a direction corresponding to the deep-drawing direction. The cutting of the hollow-body is thus carried out together with the deep-drawing process in one and the same process. Due to the fact that the punching process is performed by a movement of the punching tool in deep-drawing direction, it is not required for the hollow body to be significantly repositioned. It remains in the deep-drawing direction and is cut in this direction, with the result that the cup-shaped body may be removed directly from the deep-drawing device or falls off the latter as a finished product.

The objective of the invention is also achieved by a cup-shaped body which is deep-drawn in one piece, and the edge of which is formed by a flange and extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension of the cup-shaped body. The cup-shaped body integrally comprises bottom, wall and flange. One individual piece of sheet metal from which the cup-shaped body according to the invention is formed suffices.

It is preferred that the cup-shaped body is cylindrical, and the direction of the axial extension corresponds to the cylinder axis. The cross-section perpendicular with respect to the direction of the axial extension is thus circular, which results in a particularly advantageous ratio of volume and surface. Cylindrical hollow bodies are easy to handle and also easy to deep-draw.

It is preferred that the bottom of the cup-shaped body extends in a plane which is inclined to the plane which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension of the cup-shaped body, and it is preferred that the plane where the bottom of the cup-shaped body extends in is essentially parallel to the plane where the flange runs in.

It is in this case preferred that the cup-shaped body is designed in accordance with one of the above-described procedures for the manufacturing process.

The objective is also achieved by a component, in particular a silencer, having a housing, and the housing is formed from at least one cup-shaped body designed in accordance with one of the above-described embodiments.

It is preferred if the housing comprises at least two cup-shaped bodies the flanges of which rest against each other, and the directions of the axial extensions or the longitudinal axes of the cup-shaped bodies are inclined towards each other. It is thereby possible to produce a sealing connection by means of the flanges with simultaneously changing the direction e.g. of a flow duct (e.g. for compressed air or exhaust gases).

The objective is also achieved by a deep-drawing device for producing a hollow body by way of a deep-drawing process along a deep-drawing direction—by means of a stamp and a die—and one circumferential shoulder is embodied at the external wall of the stamp and at the external wall of the bottom die, respectively, which shoulder extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane which oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction of the deep-drawing process.

It is preferred that the deep-drawing direction of the deep-drawing device is straight, with the result that a simple linear motion sequence between stamp and die is sufficient.

It is preferred that the deep-drawing device comprises a punching tool, which can be moved in deep-drawing direction for performing a punching process, whereby the process steps can be performed in one single device.

For a better understanding of the invention the latter is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

The heavily simplified schematics show:

FIG. 1 a hollow body, out of which the cup-shaped body can be cut;

FIG. 2 the production of a hollow body in a deep-drawing device;

FIG. 3 the deep-drawing device from FIG. 2 with a stamp slid into the die;

FIG. 4 the cutting of the hollow body along the shoulder by means of a cutting tool;

FIG. 5 the hollow body after the cutting;

FIG. 6 the cup-shaped body according to the invention;

FIG. 7 a component according to the invention, the housing of which is composed of two cup-shaped bodies;

FIG. 8 an embodiment of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 9 an embodiment of a cup-shaped body according to the invention;

FIG. 10 a deep-drawing device having a punching tool.

It must first be stated that in the various embodiments described, identical parts have been marked with the same reference identifiers and the same parts descriptions. It is therefore possible to transfer the disclosures contained in the overall description to the identical parts with the same reference identifiers or the same parts descriptions. The selected positioning terms are used in the description, such as top, bottom, side etc., which refer directly to the described and the depicted figures and which can be correspondingly transferred to the new position in the event of a change in position. Furthermore, individual characteristics or combinations of characteristics from the various embodiments shown and described can present independent or inventive solutions, or solutions according to the present invention.

The embodiments illustrated as examples represent possible variants of the invention, and it should be pointed out at this stage that the invention is not specifically limited to the variants specifically illustrated, and instead the individual variants may be used in different combinations with one another and these possible variations lie within the reach of the person skilled in this technical field given the disclosed technical teaching. Accordingly, all conceivable variants which can be obtained by combining individual details of the variants described and illustrated are possible and fall within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a hollow body 5 as an intermediate product during the production of a cup-shaped body 1 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The hollow body 5 is produced by way of a deep-drawing process in a deep-drawing device. Thereby, a circumferential shoulder 7 is formed in the created shell 6 of the hollow body 5. This shoulder extends between a first shell section 8 and a second shell section 9, and essentially extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane F which is perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction R of the deep-drawing process. (FIG. 4).

The first shell section 8 which follows the bottom 10 of the hollow body 5 has a lower diameter or cross-section than the second shell section 9 facing away from the bottom 10. The shoulder 7 forms a diagonally running ledge in the shell 6.

FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically show the deep-drawing process, where the stamp 13 and the die 14 of a deep-drawing device 15 are moved relative to each other in order to form the hollow body 5 according to FIG. 1 from a flat piece of sheet metal 4 (in particular sheet of steel, preferably sheet of stainless steel). In order to form the circumferential shoulder 7 in the shell of the hollow body 5, the stamp 13 has an upper stamp section 13 a having a greater diameter or cross-section, and a lower stamp section 13 b having a lower diameter or cross-section. The stamp sections 13 a, 13 b are separated by a circumferential shoulder 13 c forming a ledge. Correspondingly, the die 14 has an upper die section 14 a having a greater diameter or cross section, and a lower die section 14 b having a lower diameter or cross-section. The die sections 14 a, 14 b are separated from each other by a circumferential shoulder 14 c forming a ledge.

The circumferential shoulders 13 c, 14 c essentially run in a plane which is inclined (preferably by an angle of at least 10° and depending on the desired dimensioning of the cup to be produced) to a plane which is oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction R of the deep-drawing device 15. The preferred deep-drawing direction R is straight or linear.

It is preferred that the hollow body 5 is deep-drawn (from a flat piece of sheet metal, in particular stainless steel sheet metal) in one single draught.

It is preferred that the hollow body 5, the cup-shaped body 1 and the corresponding deep-drawing tools (stamp 13 and die 14) are cylindrical. This being the case, the direction of the axial extension coincides with those of the cylinder axis or is parallel thereto.

FIG. 4 shows the subsequent step of the cutting of the hollow body 5 along the shoulder 7 in order to obtain the cup-shaped body 1. The flange 3 of the cup-shaped body 1 is created from the shoulder 7 or a part thereof. Here, a cup-shaped body 1 according to the invention is produced, the edge 2 of which body has a flange 3 and extends essentially in a plane E which is inclined to a plane F which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension L of the cup-shaped body 1.

Such a body is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and here, the first shell section 8 of the hollow body 5 forms the wall 11 of the cup-shaped body 1.

The plane E, where the shoulder 7 extends in, is inclined to the plane F by an angle β of at least 10° which plane F is oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction R. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, this angle is approximately 22.5°.

In further process steps, recesses, in particular for supply lines or discharge lines or resonator chamber openings (for silencer), can be placed in the bottom 10 and/or the wall 11 of the cup-shaped body 1. Similarly to the cutting of the hollow body 5, this can be performed by means of a cutting tool 16 (FIG. 4), preferably by means of a laser machining tool.

FIG. 7 shows, schematically and without any supply and discharge lines, a component 12 according to the invention (e.g. in form of a silencer) having a housing, which is composed of two cup-shaped bodies 1 according to the invention the flanges 3 of which bodies rest against each other. The directions of the axial extensions L or the longitudinal axes of the cup-shaped bodies 1 are here inclined to each other, whereby a flow duct extending along the axis L is subjected to a change of direction. In the present case, the flange 3 of a respective body 1 is inclined at 22.5°, whereby a kink of 45° results in the component 12, i.e. two cups together form a chamber having a kink of 45°.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an embodiment of the invention, according to which the bottom 10 of the cup-shaped body 1 extends in a plane which is inclined to the plane F which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension L of the cup-shaped body 1. In this special embodiment, the plane wherein the bottom 10 of the cup-shaped body 1 extends is essentially parallel to the plane E, wherein the flange 3 runs. A component composed from such bodies 1 by analogy with FIG. 7 is very space-saving and has a compact design.

As a preferred embodiment finally, FIG. 10 shows the deep-drawing device 15 from FIGS. 2 and 3 supplemented by a punching tool 17 which is integrated in the deep-drawing device 15, which punching tool can be moved in deep-drawing direction R and has a circumferential blade at its diagonally extending bottom side for performing a punching process. The stamp 13 is in a waiting position meanwhile. The advantage of this embodiment is that deep-drawing process and cutting can be carried out in one and the same device, with the result that the production process can be streamlined in terms of time and effort required and can thus be created to be more cost-efficient.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Cup-shaped body

2 Edge

3 Flange

4 Piece of sheet metal

5 Hollow body

6 Shell

7 Shoulder

8 First shell section

9 Second shell section

10 Bottom

11 Wall

12 Component

13 Stamp

13 a Upper stamp section

13 b Lower stamp section

13 c Shoulder

14 Die

14 a Upper die section

14 b Lower die section

14 c Shoulder

15 Deep-drawing device

16 Cutting tool

17 Punching tool

L Axial extension

R Deep-drawing direction

E Plane

F Plane

β Angle 

1. Method for the production of a cup-shaped body (1), the edge (2) of which has a flange (3) and extends in a plane (E) that is inclined to a plane (F) that stands perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension (L) of the cup-shaped body (1), comprising the steps: producing a hollow body (5) by a deep-drawing process, whereby a circumferential shoulder (7), which extends between two shell sections (8, 9) essentially in a plane that is inclined to a plane (F) which is perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction (R) of the deep-drawing process, is formed in the shell (6) of the hollow body (5), and cutting the hollow body (5) along the shoulder (7) in order to obtain the cup-shaped body (1), with the flange (3) of the cup-shaped body (1) being formed from at least a part of the shoulder (7).
 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the deep-drawing direction (R) during the deep-drawing process is linear.
 3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body (5) is deep-drawn in one draught.
 4. Method according to one claim 1, wherein the hollow body (5) is deep-drawn from a piece of sheet metal (4), preferably a flat pre-cut sheet metal.
 5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the plane (E), where the shoulder (7) extends in, is inclined to the plane (F), which is oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction (R), by an angle (β) of at least 10°.
 6. Method according to one claim 1, wherein the cup-shaped body (1) is cylindrical, and the axial extension (L) corresponds to the cylinder axis.
 7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the bottom (10) of the cup-shaped body (1) extends in a plane which is inclined to the plane (F) which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension (L) of the cup-shaped body (1), wherein preferably the plane, where the bottom (10) of the cup-shaped body (1) extends in, is essentially parallel to the plane (E) where the flange (3) runs in.
 8. Method according to one claim 1, wherein recesses, in particular for supply lines or discharge lines or resonator chamber openings, are formed in the bottom (10) and/or the wall (11) of the cup-shaped body (1).
 9. Method according to one claim 1, wherein the hollow body (5) is deep-drawn in at least two draughts, in particular if the height of the hollow body (5) is the same as or greater than its diameter.
 10. Method according to one claim 1, wherein the cutting of the hollow body (5) along the shoulder (7) is carried out by way of a punching process.
 11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the punching process is performed in the same device where the deep-drawing process is performed in, and wherein the punching tool (17) during the punching process is moved in a direction which corresponds to the deep-drawing direction (R).
 12. Cup-shaped body (1) deep-drawn from one piece, in particular one piece of sheet metal, the edge of which body is formed from a flange (3) and lies in a plane (E) which is inclined to a plane (F) which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension (L) of the cup-shaped body (1).
 13. Cup-shaped body according to claim 12, wherein the cup-shaped body (1) is cylindrical, and the axial extension (L) corresponds to the cylinder axis.
 14. Cup-shaped body according to claim 12, wherein the bottom (10) of the cup-shaped body (1) extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane (F) which is perpendicular to the direction of the axial extension (L) of the cup-shaped body (1), wherein preferably the plane, where the bottom (10) of the cup-shaped body (1) extends in, is essentially parallel to the plane (E) where the flange (3) runs in.
 15. Component having a housing, in particular silencer, wherein the housing is formed from at least one cup-shaped body (1) according to claim
 12. 16. Component according to claim 15, wherein the housing comprises at least two cup-shaped bodies (1), the flanges (3) of which rest against each other, and the directions of the axial extensions (L) of the cup-shaped bodies (1) are inclined towards each other.
 17. Deep-drawing device (15) for producing a hollow body (5) by way of a deep-drawing process along a deep-drawing direction (R) having a stamp (13) and a die (14), wherein one circumferential shoulder (13 c, 14 c) is formed at the external wall of the stamp (13) and at the external wall of the die (14), respectively, which shoulder extends in a plane which is inclined to a plane (F) which is oriented perpendicular to the deep-drawing direction (R) of the deep-drawing process.
 18. Deep-drawing device according to claim 17, wherein the deep-drawing direction (R) of the deep-drawing device (15) is straight.
 19. Deep-drawing device according to claim 17, wherein the deep-drawing device (15) comprises a punching tool (17) which can be moved in a direction corresponding to the deep-drawing direction (R) for performing a punching process. 